Storm Update: Thousands still without power in Monroe, Pike counties

Friday

Severe thunderstorms with wind gusts of up to 60 mph ripped through the Poconos on Thursday evening, knocking down trees and power lines and cutting off power.

Thousands of PPL customers across the Poconos remain without electricity Friday afternoon after strong storms ripped through the region Thursday night, knocking down trees and power lines.

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Some of those customers could still be in the dark through Saturday, as the storm damaged regional transmission lines that supply electricity to thousands of residents.

Until the repairs are completed on these lines, homes not serviced by substations will have to wait to regain power.

Dominick and Tonya Frank fanned themselves Friday in their hot, powerless Henryville home. Their power had been out since 8 p.m. Thursday, and Tonya Frank, a diabetic, and their son Garrett, struggle with their conditions without electricity to help.

Dominick Frank went to a local creek with a bucket in hand to gather water for their bathroom.

Friday night was their son's prom; he had to stay at a friend's house in order to shower and prepare.

As of 5 p.m., 7,155 PPL customers in Monroe County are still without power. Most of the outages are centered around Tobyhanna and Paradise townships. Slightly more PPL customers remain without power in Pike County, where 8,286 outages are reported as of 5 p.m.

Things are looking much better for Met-Ed customers, which only has 500 outages remaining in both Monroe and Pike counties as of 5 p.m.

At its peak, the storm knocked out power to more than 18,000 PPL customers and another 5,000 Met-Ed customers in Monroe County. In total, 120,000 PPL customers in Pennsylvania lost power due to the storm.

Immediately following the storm, emergency crews were struggling to keep up with the endless reports of downed trees and wires across Monroe County as the storms whipped through after 9:15 p.m. and continued causing destruction until shortly before 10 p.m.

“We had reports of trees down on houses, across roads, wires and poles down throughout the county,” said Guy Miller, director of the Office of Emergency Services for Monroe County. “We had extra staff that we called in to work the phones and answer 911 calls and dispatch fire and EMS.”

Throughout the county, firefighters and PennDOT road crews were out working to remove the downed trees, while PPL and Met-Ed crews worked on cleaning up utility poles and wires.

By around midnight, the situation was largely under control as the number of new reports of downed trees dwindled and most primary roadways were cleared.

But several roads remain closed Friday, and some of those in Pike County aren't expected to reopen until Monday. Meanwhile, tree cutters were out in full force Friday, dealing with trees that fell in yards and driveways across the region.

The wind from the storms was intense, with a 60 mph gust reported in Mount Pocono, according to the National Weather Service. Hail with a 3-inch diameter was also reported to the west in Carbon County.

Cherry Valley foliage bore witness to the violence of the storm. Freshly blossomed green leaves were scattered across the road. Some broken branches hung from trees overhanging the two-lane roadway. Large chunks of dead wood lay shattered across the pavement.

Among the more serious incidents reported, a tree crashed through the living room of a mobile home at Birchwood Trailer Park in Ross Township just after 9:30 p.m., according to scanner reports. No one was reported injured.

Here's the Memorial Day weekend forecast:

Friday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 11am and 2pm, then a chance of thunderstorms after 2pm. Some of the storms could produce small hail and gusty winds. Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming south between 6 and 9 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday Night: A chance of thunderstorms before 9pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 9pm. Some of the storms could produce small hail and gusty winds. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 61. South wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 84. South wind between 3 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

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